Participants in a questionnaire about Bob Hope Airport offered on the Internet April 16 – 30 to all persons expressed favorable overall attitudes about the Airport and the desirability of a replacement passenger terminal with the same number of gates as the current 82-year-old terminal.
The questionnaire was a follow-on public outreach measure to a February telephone survey of 1,111 registered voters in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and parts of Los Angeles near the Airport.
Both research projects were undertaken for the Airport Land Use Working Group, comprised of staff from the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and the City of Burbank, to help establish a baseline on current public attitudes about the Airport to assist the City and the Airport Authority in joint outreach to achieve a consensus vision for the Airport’s future.
The online questionnaire was publicized by public announcements, newspaper and online advertising, and 69,000 automatic telephone calls. A total of 915 submissions were received, whose responses tended to mirror the findings of the more formal survey using scientific sampling conducted in February. The questionnaire was administered by the research firm of Goodwin Simon Strategic Research (Goodwin), which also conducted the formal survey in February. A report by Goodwin notes that the questionnaire – as contrasted with the telephone survey – should be viewed primarily as an opportunity for the public at large to express views about the Airport, rather than as a scientific tool to infer views of all local residents.
Approximately one-third of the questionnaire responses came from Burbank with 336
submissions; 232 came from Glendale; 131 were from Pasadena residents; 37 were from Los Angeles residents; and 149 came from residents listing other cities. The questionnaire was available in English and Spanish.
Most participants expressed very positive views about the Airport, especially its convenience and ease of use. Concern was expressed about noise from the Airport and about possible changes or expansion, but nearly the same proportion of respondents wrote that their biggest concern was that the Airport needs to be more modern, safer, passenger-friendly, or competitive with other airports.
When asked how the Airport affects their quality of life, participants were nearly three times more likely to respond with a positive comment about having the convenience of a nearby airport than with a negative comment about noise or other concerns.
A report on the entire questionnaire and all responses is viewable online at www.bobhopeairportsurvey.com.
